"Forres Park is ideally situated in Jamaica's majestic Blue Mountains. This is a wonderful base from which to climb to the summit at 7,400 feet, explore the coffee plantations and view birds like Rufous-throated Solitaires, Ring-tailed Pigeons and Blue Mountain Vireos. The birding around the lodge is really good and one of Jamaica's best birding locations, Hardware Gap, is a short drive from the lodge. The accommodations are really comfortable and the food is out of this world!"James Currie, Nikon's BATV host

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NIKON'S BATV - YOUR TICKET TO BIRDING THE WORLD!

Greetings,

Welcome to our June edition of the Nikon's BATV newsletter!

I have just returned from filming a show for National Geographic in Arizona. The show will feature Harris Hawks and other raptors of the Sonoran Desert and is due for release on the National Geographic channel in November this year. The Sonoran is truly a magical place. What fascinates me most is its diversity. There are so many different facets of the Sonoran. From the massive sand dunes of Yuma to the saguaro cacti of the hot plains to the juniper forests of the upper elevations, this desert is always changing.

And Harris Hawks are simply awe-inspiring birds. Filming these co-operative hunters requires major patience and perseverance. The birds are SO intelligent and wary at the nest that we had to spend a lot of time learning about their habits.

Harris Hawks in the Sonoran by Charlie Kaiser

Other news is that we have finished up editing our Ecuador and Jamaica shows and these will all be released on Versus. The shows will also be available on our Facebook page after they have been released on TV so check back with us often!

FINDING THE CRESTED QUAIL-DOVE

The Crested Quail-dove is without question the hardest of all the 28 Jamaican endemic birds to find.

One of the most productive sites for this secretive and shy bird is Ecclesdown Road in the eastern part of the island. The locals call this dove the Mountain Witch on account of its ghostly call and retiring nature.

On our recent trip to Jamaica we headed out early one morning to try film it. The bird can sometimes be seen close to the road early in the mornings but trying to actually film it was a different challenge entirely. We heard a few birds calling but no birds were visible so we decided to split up to maximize our chances...

I was on my own with the small camera. Jeff, our videographer, had the large camera and Jon Allen from Nikon had the digiscoping equipment. We were all searching hard when we heard Lorenzo, our driver, shout that he had found the bird close to the car. The bird took off and landed right between our 3 parties on the road!! We were all filming the toughest Jamaican endemic from different angles for a full 10 minutes! The bird just kept walking back and forth between all of us in full view.

With its crazy bobbing gait, subtle coloring and bizarre headgear, this is one of the world's special dove species. Catch our show this week on Versus to learn more!